Description of the Prior Art
Conditioning compositions heretofore provided in the art for the treatment of fabrics in one or more cycles of an automatic laundering process usually include, with respect to bleaching and softening in particular, either a specific type of bleaching agent or softening agent. Combination of these materials in a unitary composition is at best vaguely suggested as regards specific types of ingredients, proportions and the like. Moreover, in such cases, it is indicated as being necessary to use the bleach material in solid form, and in substantial excess on a weight basis with respect to any softener compound which might be peripherally included within the relevant teaching. Peroxygen bleaches in such cases are usually limited to the normally solid, water-soluble types such as the alkali metal and ammonium perborates, percarbonate, mono-persulfates and mono-perphosphates, species of the foregoing including for example sodium and potassium perborates and percarbonates. The aforementioned normally solid, inorganic peroxygen bleaches are usually employed in combination with various types of solid activators such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,165.
Dispensing of the solid bleach composition in the appropriate cycle of the laundering process usually the dryer cycle, is often effected by means of a solid carrier material including various types of polymeric laminate and cellular structures, impregnated, coated, or otherwise treated with the conditioning composition.
U.S. Pat. Nos. relevant to the foregoing discussion include 3,945,936; 3,870,145; 3,944,694; 3,956,556; 3,634,947; 3,947,971 and 3,283,357. For the most part, the foregoing patents relate to the use of polyurethane-type carriers for the dispensing of either bleach or softener compositions in a given cycle, mainly the dryer cycle, of an automatic machine-laundering process.
The bleach component is usually added to the washing or drying cycle in solid form as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,936 and British Patent Specification No. 1,456,592, the latter describing the coating of bleach granules with fatty alcohol for bleach rate and pH control in the washing medium. It is recognized that bleach compositions in liquid form (wash cycle) are currently available commercially; however, such compositions do not include, nor is provision made for the inclusion of, softener.
Softener compounds, on the other hand, are conventionally added to the laundering process suitably dispersed in a liquid carrier, which may in turn be incorporated, e.g., by impregnation, into a solid carrier support. Relevant in this regard are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,442,692 and 3,632,396 describing the incorporation of liquid solutions or dispersions of softener e.g., quaternary ammonium compounds, into an absorbent sponge-type substrate and substrates of open pore structure from non-woven cloth, paper, etc. of various shapes such as puffs, balls and the like. Other U.S. Pat. Nos. relevant to softener materials and structures for their dispensing in a laundering process include 3,870,145; 3,944,694; 3,956,556; 3,634,947 and 3,947,971.
Conditioning compositions in liquid form offer several advantages such as ready dissolution or dispersion in the washing media or on damp fabrics in the laundry dryer; homogeneit via solubilization of solid and/or liquid components in the conditioner solvent; facility of dispensing e.g., by simple pouring; enhanced accuracy of predetermined dosage amounts due to the increased volume of conditioner solution being handled by the user, etc., By way of contrast, the use of solid conditioning compositions entails significant disadvantages such as the rather elaborate and cumbersome structures required for their efficient dispensing in the machine, as typified by the wide variety of carrier substrates described in the prior are hereinbefore cited, as well as the difficulties inherent in the compounding of solid ingredients in the form of a coherent, homogeneous mass having adequate structural as well as chemical stability.
In addition, conditioning compositions thus far provided are capable of performing but a single function, e.g. bleaching or softening, requiring, therefore, the use of separate compositions during the washing-drying process according to a predetermined sequence of addition. The inconvenience to the user readily is apparent.
In accordance with the concept underlying the present invention, it was found, surprisingly, that bleach and softener compounds, subject to the requirements to be hereinafter discussed in detail, could be effectively combined in a single liquid composition to simultaneously provide effective bleaching, softening, detergency, antistat properties, etc. when added to one or more of the wash, rinse and dryer cycles of an automatic machine laundering process. The result is somewhat surprising since it would normally be expected that problems associated with, for example, compatibility and stability of the involved ingredient and particularly in a liquid environment normally considered to be highly conclusive to undesired, fugitive side reactions, would militate against any possible effectiveness. Thus, prior art attempts to combine softener and bleach in a single composition have stressed the requirement for solid rather than liquid vehicles and even then under relatively stringent limitations as regards mutual proportions of active ingredients, assuring for example, the presence of bleach in at least substantial excess over softener. Thus, the recognized tendency of many softeners to form insoluble gels when present together with a peroxy bleaching agent in an aqueous medium is a significant factor in the compounding of such compositions.
Thus, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a conditioning composition wherein the foregoing and related disadvantages are eliminated or at least mitigated to a substantial extent.
A further object of the invention is to provide a liquid, bleach fabric-softener composition capable of simultaneously and effectively bleaching and softening fabrics treatment therewith.
A still further object of the invention is to provide such a composition which may be added to one or more of the wash, rinse and dryer cycles of an automatic machine washing and drying operation.
Yet a still further object of the invention is to provide such a composition having good stability on aging at ambient and elevated temperatures over relatively prolonged periods of time.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a composition having good compatibility of ingredients under varying conditions of storage and use.
Still another object of the invention is to provide such a composition completely safe for use with fabrics of dyed, synthetic fibers such as Dacron, Dacron-cotton, permanent press as well as natural fibers.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a process employing such composition in the conditioning of fabrics in a laundering process.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent hereinafter as the description proceeds.